Seahawks surge in fourth quarter to shock the Patriots

Seahawks receiver Sidney Rice pulls in the game-winning touchdown Sunday with less than two minutes to play. (Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com)

Even with an entire quarter to go, the Seahawks trailing the New England Patriots by 10, the 68,137 fans at rainy CenturyLink Field could sense the game slipping away. There wasn’t a ton of hope for a Seahawks team that had struggled to gain yards through the air all season, especially as the Patriots did their best to shut down the running threat of Marshawn Lynch.

But something happened. Something sparked, and it was exactly the change Seattle needed.

With 13:43 left in the game, Tom Brady and the Patriots were six yards from the end zone, threatening to put it away. But the veteran quarterback did what he rarely does — he threw an interception. Seattle safety Earl Thomas snagged it in the end zone and ran it the other way for 23 yards. The Seahawks knew it was a momentum-changing play.

And the Seahawks fans could sense it as well.

In the final 9:21 of Sunday’s game in Seattle, the Seahawks surged from a 23-10 deficit to overcome the Patriots in yet another game that was decided in the final minutes. With two fourth-quarter touchdowns and un-rookie-like leadership from their rookie quarterback, the Seahawks edged the Patriots 24-23 to beat the NFL’s top-ranked offense.

And the Seahawks mainly did it with the NFL’s top-ranked defense.

In the second half Sunday, the Seahawks’ defense held Brady and the Patriots defense to no touchdowns and two field goals. Despite giving up 475 total yards to the NFL’s best offense Sunday, they kept the damage to a minimum, keeping the Seahawks and rookie quarterback Russell Wilson somewhat in the mix.

So when the fourth quarter began, and once Thomas intercepted Brady in the end zone, the onus was on Wilson and the offense to get Seattle back in the game.

To jump-start his offense, head coach Pete Carroll got creative. He called a reverse pass — Wilson handed the ball to wide receiver Sidney Rice, who then threw a deep pass down the right sideline to receiver Golden Tate. It wasn’t caught, but flags were thrown. The officials called pass interference on New England, and Seattle had a fresh set of downs at the Patriots’ 40-yard line.

But on second down, Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo ripped the ball out the hands of tight end Zach Miller. The Seahawks lost the ball on the fumble, and New England eventually kicked another field goal to widen their lead to 23-10. The game — again — looked all but lost.

Seattle got the ball back with 9:21 to go. Five plays and 83 yards later, the Seahawks were in the end zone on a pass from Wilson to receiver Braylon Edwards. On the drive, Seattle got some help from penalties on New England, but it was a short series that put the Seahawks just six points behind the Pats.

On New England’s ensuing drive, the Seahawks’ defense was again able to hold Brady out of the end zone. But the Patriots were able to eat away at the clock, taking off nearly four minutes before the Seahawks got the ball back on a punt to their 17-yard line with 3:56 to go.

But it wasn’t quite Wilson’s time to shine. The Seahawks quickly went three-and-out, punting the ball back to New England with 3:02 left to play. Again, it looked like the Seahawks had all but lost.

Thank goodness for Seattle’s top-ranked defense. Brady again couldn’t get anything going, and the Pats had to give the Seahawks yet another chance with 2:38 left. And finally it was time for Wilson to show why he was given the starting quarterback job in Seattle.

From Seattle’s own 43-yard line, Wilson first scrambled 9 yards. On the next play, a pass dropped incomplete, so the Hawks handed it off to Lynch. He got the first down and Seattle had a fresh set of plays at the Patriots’ 46. The Seahawks had 1:27 to get into the end zone — but they didn’t wait.

On first down, Wilson threw deep down the center to a wide-open Rice, who jumped to grab the ball in the end zone. After kicker Steven Hauscha’s extra point, the Seahawks took the lead.